Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-10-10
DAILY HERALD
TURF TOPICS.
Preparations for the
Eighth Annual Meet.
SCENES ON THE GROUNDS.
A Fine String Of Horses in Train
ing and a Good Weeks
Racing Promised.

Racing Promised.
Horse racing has been one OF the
lea ding sports Of the civilized world,
for period stretching far back in the
annals Of history. Probably about the
earliest mention of this amusement is
that made by Homer, who, in his
Had gives us description OF a
chariot race at the funeral games held
in honor of Patroclus, the friend OF
Achilles, who, as the student will re-
member. fell by the spear OF Hector.
Chariot races, formed some OF the
principal amusements at the Olympic
games, and at the thirty-third Olym-
piad, We are informed that the first
race took place in which the horses
we're urged onward by riders seated
,sstride their backs. From that
time on. this fascinating amuse-
ment appears to have gained
an ascendancy in the popular
opinion and we find Plutarch speak
ing Of Bippodromius or Horse-race
month. 1t appears to have been in
troduced in Great Britain by the
Romans, for the early writers often
refer to horse-contests, but the earli-
est authenticated race that took place
is the one mentioned in Stowe as hav-
ing occurred in the city of London in
1l74. Roger de Belesme, Earl Of
Shrewsbury, was one of the earliest
breeders of fine stock and was the
first man to import Spanish stations
into England for his estate at Pow
Island. The interest which this pro-
ceeding aroused never died out, al
though it remained in rather q quie-
scent state during the Wars OF the
Roses. and it is to the Stuarts that
sportsmen owe debt Of gratitude for
the interest they took in all matters
pertaining to equine rivalry. James
/. caused house to be erected at
Newmarket, the town which is at
present the pivot round which the
sporting world Of Great Britain re-
wolves, and Charles I. in 1867 had a
course thoroughly laid out there and q
grand stand erected, since which time
annual meetings have been held at
that place. In 1776 Tattersall's, the
famous betting clubhouse, was estab-
1ished in London, and in the
same year Colonel st. Leger
endowed the stakes which have
ever since been known by his
name. In 1779 the Earl of
Derby inaugurated the race known
as the Derby, and one year
later he nominated "the Oaks
after his hunting seat and this event
has also been handed down to posterity
In 1902 the Duke of Goodwood founded
the Goodwood Stakes and since that
date many other cups and nominations
have been made until now the English
racing world is endowed with numer
GUS handsome trophies and liberia
money prizes which are annually
raced for over the many courses which
abound throughout the kingdom
But many evils have followed in the
train of this amusement. The gamb.
ling which has become intimately
associated with it has proved fatal
lure to both young and old and many
q honored family and young and
useful life has been ended by
imbibing at the fatal fountain. Some
Of the cases on record are particularly
sad, that of the Marquis of Hastings,
for instance, young and brilliant,
though withal dissipated peer, who
staked his life and fortune on one
race, lost, and suicided the next
morning. To those who are in the
swim, who hobnob with the trainers
and jockeys, it appears to be a very
lucrative calling, and is particularly
patronized by individuals like the
fast young man who is described as
1.-THE damsel's delight and the chaperon's
fear:
He's voted trulLp amongst men;
His father allows him two hundred a year,
But he'll lay you thousand to ten"
"a man who takes to the turf goes
to the dogs" is a household saying
but this remark does not apply
to those who, apart from
the pecuniary advantages connected
with successful horse-racing are inter-
ested in the promotion and perfection
of the quadruped. Unfortunately,
such cases are very rare, and men like
Lord Falmouth, who never bets, are
few and far between.
On the European continent great
strides have been made in racing
matters, especially in France, to
which country horses are shipped
from England and America to
compete for the valuable prizes
that are offered. Attached to
Mentone and Monaco are well-kept
tracks on which during the season are
to be seen some very good contests,
and at most OF the European capitals
the sport is INDUCED in at certain Pc
riods throughout the year.
After the colonization of America
the English-speaking, English think
ing residents of Maryland and Vir-
ginia brought with them their inher-
ent love of the sport, and the little
settlements were often the scenes of
pleasant rivalry as regards the settling
of disputes as to the relative merits OF
the contesting quadrupeds. The first
thoroughbred, horse named Bully
Rock, was imported in 1870, and this
initial impetus being given to the
raising Of fine strain Of horses, sew
cral Of those whose wealth permit
tel them to do 80 imported
other fine bred animals and
half q dozen breeding establish
ments we're started. Up to that time
the competitions had always been
what is known as running" but in
1888, by the importation Of the famous
Messenger to Philadelphia, the foun-
dation was laid for that trotting SUI
premacy which the United States has
ever held. As compared to the time
made by horses like Maud s., Arrow
md other equine champions, the rec
ords made in those days seem ridicu
lous, and we find that the odds were
to i against Boston Blue when, in 1878
4 was announced that he would at.